We understand the worry and confusion that come with a diagnosis of cancer. In addition to superior medical care and the latest technology, Roswell Park provides a comprehensive range of services to help you cope with the emotional, financial and day-to-day concerns related to your illness.

When you walk through the doors of Roswell Park, rest assured that you’ll find the care and support you need — before, during and after your cancer treatment.

Advance Blood Draw

Reduce the time you spend waiting at your next scheduled appointment — get your lab work and radiology tests done in advance. RPCI offers various lab work locations! Choose from three Roswell Park locations, or take advantage of our partnership with Catholic Health System, which allows you to select from three additional suburban locations. Schedule now in your Care Center or call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724).

Communication in All Languages

Patients who do not speak English, or who would prefer to speak a language other than English, have easy access to interpreters. Roswell Park contracts with the Language Line, a phone service that provides professional interpretation by certified medical interpreters in more than 170 languages, 24 hours a day.

Non-English-speaking patients can access Language Line services by making arrangements through any member of their health care team or, if off-campus, by calling Roswell Park’s Cancer Information Program at 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724), available Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Extended Hours Ambulatory Center

The Roswell Park Extended Hours Ambulatory Center (EHAC) is open Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. This new patient care service is available for current patients, and provides access to Roswell Park physicians, nurses, and other experts after RPCI's Care Centers have closed for the day. Please know that this is not a walk-in clinic. Call Roswell Park at 716-845-2300 if you are having symptoms and in need of assistance.

Genetic Assessment, Testing and Counseling

The Clinical Genetics Service was established to meet the needs of individuals at high risk for hereditary cancer syndromes based on their personal and/or family histories of cancer. This program is comprised of professionals who provide individuals and their families with a comprehensive, personalized cancer risk evaluation — based on the most timely, accurate information available — in a caring, confidential setting. Call 1-877-ASK-RPCI
(1-877-275-7724) for more information.

How to Read Your Pathology Report

Cancer treatments are becoming more and more targeted, so an accurate and comprehensive analysis by a pathologist is critical in determining the best approach. Learn how to read your pathology report.

Nutrition

Good nutrition is especially important while you are receiving lung cancer care. During your treatment, adequate intake of calories, protein, vitamins and minerals will help you to be strong, maintain your weight, and promote the healing process. Before and after your treatment, a healthy diet based on moderation, variety and balance will help to promote a good immune system, give you energy, and enhance your overall health. Our Nutrition and Food Service team is dedicated to providing nourishing meals and nutrition care to promote quality of life throughout the spectrum of your cancer care experience.

Group seminars are available on a variety of topics including eating during cancer treatment, healthy eating and cancer-related fatigue.

Pain Management

Of all the side effects of cancer, pain is most feared by patients. Unfortunately, this fear is not without grounds. Approximately 60 percent to 90 percent of patients with advanced cancer report significant pain, and one-third state that it interferes with daily activity. The truth is that 90 percent of all cancer-related pain can be alleviated, eliminated or significantly reduced by available means.

How should you determine the quality of a cancer pain management program? Look at the stats. Eighty-five percent of patients who receive treatment at Roswell Park report “very” and “totally” successful outcomes in controlling or eliminating pain after three months. According to our pain management doctors, there have been no patient reports of RPCI interventions being either ''not successful'' or ''mildly successful,'' and our patients have had substantially lower hospital stays than similar patients at other Comprehensive Cancer Centers.

Patient Advisory Council

Created in 2012, RPCI’s Patient Advisory Council represents a “culture change” in the way the hospital operates and how it receives feedback from our patients. Patients who join the advisory council become involved with every level of care and are invited to take a hard look at the services and procedures in place at Roswell Park, then provide suggestions for how to make improvements.

If you are interested in joining the Patient Advisory Council, please call RPCI’s Department of the Patient and Family Experience at 716-845-8114.

Psychosocial Oncology

Adjusting to a cancer diagnosis and coping with treatment is difficult for most cancer patients, but those with lung cancer face unique challenges, including the unfortunate stigma that is often associated with this disease (''Did you smoke?''). The psychosocial support at Roswell Park helps patients and their families cope with these challenges.

Our team of social workers and clinical psychologists work side by side with your medical team to provide individualized assistance and support to you and your family throughout the course of care. Services include:

Educational programs about lung cancer

Emotional support, including support groups and psychotherapy

Assistance with sick leave and disability

Arrangement of lodging, transportation or language/interpreter needs

Linkage with financial assistance programs and other community resources

Purple Shirts

The American Cancer Society and Roswell Park Cancer Institute worked together to create a healthcare hospitality program that connects patients and their families with cancer survivors. Dressed in purple shirts, these dedicated volunteers visit clinics throughout the RPCI hospital, bringing compassion, understanding, and practical information about RPCI resources and supportive services. If you don’t see a Purple Shirt in your clinic and would like to speak to someone, please visit The Resource Center for Patients and Families at Roswell Park, or call the Office of Patient and Family Experience at 716-845-8114.

Just Breathe

Quitting smoking is hard enough, but struggling with nicotine withdrawal while undergoing cancer treatment is a major challenge. Roswell Park’s cessation program, Just Breathe, offers individualized quit plans and provides behavioral counseling, pharmacotherapy and cessation support to all RPCI patients and their families. For more information, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724).

New York State Smokers’ Quitline

Based at Roswell Park and supported by the New York State Department of Health Tobacco Control Program, the NYS Smokers' Quitline has logged well over one million calls since its inception. Call 1-866-NY-QUITS (1-866-697-8487). Roswell Park was the first health care facility in Western New York to go entirely smoke-free.

The Stacey Scott Lung Cancer Registry

The Stacey Scott Lung Cancer Registry at Roswell Park, the first of its kind in the world, collects and stores biological samples, scans, and medical and lifestyle information from thousands of cancer survivors and others at high risk for lung cancer. Researchers track them for five years, aiming to learn why the disease progresses in some people, but not in others. The information collected by the Registry has the potential to reveal how lung cancer begins and how it can be detected earlier so treatment can be more effective.

Other Resources and Information

CancerConnect: To expand care beyond the hospital’s walls and hours of operation, Roswell Park has launched an online community for people affected by cancer. CancerConnect is intended as both a source of information for patients, family members and caregivers and a 24/7 extension of the support networks that are a crucial resource for those affected by cancer. Visit the CancerConnect website to register.

Data Bank and BioRepository: The Data Bank and BioRepository (DBBR) is a large database of information from patients and healthy individuals that may help us understand why some people get cancer and others do not. It may help shed light on the roles of lifestyle, genetics and environment in cancer; and explain why some patients do better with certain treatments. Participants must be over 18 and give a blood sample. Call 716-845-7774 to speak with a staff member and/or schedule an appointment. All information is confidential.

High Risk Clinics: Individuals at high risk for certain cancers like lung, breast and ovarian may participate in the high risk program to receive state-of-the art screening and diagnostic services, early or preventative treatment and surveillance.

Lung Cancer Alliance Telephone Support Group: The Lung Cancer Alliance Telephone Support Group is for patients and caregivers whose lives have been affected by lung cancer. Led by a licensed clinical social worker, the groups “meet” via phone for one hour a week over eight weeks. There is no cost to participate. Please call our Information Line at 1-800-298-2436 to learn more.

Patient Navigators: Roswell Park’s Lung Cancer Program provides “navigators” to guide patients and their family members through and around health care barriers, and find the answers and assistance needed to chart a course to recovery. Patients, who will meet their navigators in the Thoracic Clinic, should feel free to ask them any questions.

Resource Center for Patients and Families: The Resource Center for Patients and Families offers online computers and printers, free publications from the national cancer patient organizations, and patient education materials from Roswell Park clinicians. Learning more about your diagnosis, treatment, and side effects may help you make informed decisions and improve your quality of life. Trained cancer information specialists use easy-to-understand terms to explain medical information and provide each visitor with a thorough and personalized experience. Free wigs are also available through the Resource Center for Patients and Families. For more information, call 716-845-8659.

Roswell Park's Amherst Center: The Amherst Center (100 College Parkway in Amherst, New York) provides both chemotherapy infusion and specific types of clinical care, including care for lung cancer patients, in a beautiful and comfortable setting. With 20 chemotherapy chairs, eight examination rooms, and three nurses’ stations, the facility was designed specifically to reduce both wait times and travel time for residents living in the northeast suburbs of Buffalo.

The Office of Cancer Health Disparities: The Office of Cancer Health Disparities proactively identifies and addresses disparities in vulnerable and medically underserved populations and patients. Its programs include efforts to increase cancer awareness, screening and treatment among medically underserved or uninsured populations like Latino or African American, Arab immigrants and Native Americans. For information, call 716-845-4557 or email Terry.Alford@roswellpark.org.

Social Media: Follow Roswell Park on Facebook and Twitter for up-to-the-minute updates on events, services and other relevant information.